[VIDEO] Shaibu Rejects ‘Illegal Impeachment’ as Obaseki Swears In New Deputy

Philip Shaibu, the embattled former Deputy Governor of Edo State, has rejected his impeachment and described it as a threat to democracy.

Shaibu published a video speech on his verified X account on Monday, moments after the state house of assembly voted to sack him from office for leaking the state’s secrets.

“I denounce, in strongest terms, the illegal impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly over trumped-up charges,” Shaibu said in the video. “It is a dangerous descent into dictatorship and a threat to the foundation of our democracy.”

Shaibu also accused the state’s legislative house of premising his impeachment on his decision to contest the state’s gubernatorial election slated for September 2024 and hinted at taking legal actions.

Meanwhile, Godwin Obaseki, the Edo State Governor, has hired Omobayo Godwin, a 38-year-old engineer, as his new deputy. Godwin was sworn in on Monday afternoon and will occupy the office until September.

Shaibu and Obaseki have endured a strained relationship in recent times. The governor relocated his former deputy’s office in September 2023, and Shaibu won a parallel Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in the state in his bid to be the next governor.